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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585730">Lost in the flames of love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/pseuds/greeny1710'>greeny1710</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Formula 1 RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Arguing, Charles is the overly enthusiastic uncle that's all he does, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Post-Break Up, Unrequited Love, and he annoys Max so pretty accurate tbh, mentioned mpreg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:29:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29585730</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeny1710/pseuds/greeny1710</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Breaking up with a guy that you loved was always ugly. </p><p>Breaking up with someone that would end up dating and starting a family with your best friend was even uglier.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Max Verstappen/Daniel Ricciardo (past), Michael Italiano/Max Verstappen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lost in the flames of love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have emerged from my studying and thesis writing cave to post this </p><p>this lil idea nugget has been lodged in my brain and wouldn't leave so yay we love maxiel breaking up and dan not being happy :)</p><p>for once im not torturing max, it's a fuckin miracle lmao</p><p>hope u enjoy x</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Daniel rolled his eyes at Max’s text message and swiped it away. </p><p>He had no plans to talk to his ex. </p><p>They’d not spoken to each other for over a year, not since they’d screamed at each other for the millionth time on the jet flying back from Abu Dhabi at the end of Daniel’s tenure with Red Bull in 2018. They’d been arguing a lot since mid-2018 up until they split up, basically since Daniel had announced his move to Renault. They’d argued <i>a lot</i> about whether Daniel was running from Max, running from a challenge. And kids. </p><p>They argued about kids a lot. </p><p>Max, who vehemently wanted children, trying to reason with Daniel, who vehemently did not want children. </p><p>Daniel thought having his nephew was enough, and Max wanted his own. </p><p>Didn’t help matters either that when they’d been <i>discussing</i> Daniel’s move to Renault once, Max had made a ‘joke’ about whether their child would wear Max’s Red Bull team kit or Daniel’s Renault team kit, and Daniel had rolled his eyes and told Max to grow up. </p><p>Kids were a sore subject for them, and something they couldn’t agree on. </p><p>And it was something that they didn’t want to compromise on, and for a long time hadn’t wanted to split up over. </p><p>Until that screaming argument on the plane, and then Daniel had gotten used to being single very quickly. </p><p>And they hadn’t talked since. </p><p>They’d not spoken to each other for over two years now. They were civil with each other at work, but when it came to interacting outside of the track, they barely spoke. </p><p>Max had collected his belongings a couple of weeks after they split up and moved out from their joint apartment, and Daniel barely saw him since. Monaco was a small place, and yet Daniel barely ever saw his ex. </p><p>Not that he was mad about it. </p><p>It was better than being faced with awkward expectations and conversations every single day. Being at the track was bad enough. </p><p>And he really did not want to talk to Max willingly either. </p><p>Honestly, Daniel was surprised that he even still had Max’s number saved. </p><p>It’s not like they’d text each other since December 2018. They didn’t matter to each other anymore. </p><p>Daniel had moved on, living a life of freedom, sleeping with whoever he wanted and hanging out with his friends. He’d bought a house in LA just so that he could get away from Monaco more. </p><p>And also so that he could hide from his Mum. She still wasn’t impressed with the way Daniel had handled the break up. Apparently screaming at your ex-boyfriend that there’s no way he could be a Dad because he’s too immature and won’t ever grow up isn’t an acceptable thing to say. Grace had hit him pretty hard across the back of his head when he’d told them what had happened between him and Max. It’s not that they’d wanted Daniel to give in and have kids when he didn’t want them, it was just that they were mad that he’d treated Max so rudely, which Daniel thought was fair. He’d not apologised to Max for it, but he did regret it. </p><p>Breaking up with Max had just been so fucking ugly. In retrospect, they’d both said a lot of things they shouldn’t have, and they both should’ve made more effort to just <i>talk</i> about things. But their relationship had never been like that. They’d always just jumped to arguing, always gotten angry at each other before one of them would shove the other into the wall and they’d start making out before fucking. </p><p>It had never been the healthiest of relationships, but they’d been at least <i>happy</i>. </p><p>Sometimes, Daniel wondered if Max was happy. If Max had moved on at all. </p><p>He’d heard rumours about Max apparently seeing someone, had seen Max with a hickey hidden underneath the collar of his coat that Daniel had only just caught sight of before it vanished again. Max was young, he’d definitely be sleeping around and having fun and getting out of control. </p><p>He was young. He didn’t need to be settled down and tied down with an intense relationship and kids. </p><p>Of course Daniel had seen the photo of Max holding his nephew, how in love he seemed with the baby in his arms and how carefully he cradled Luca. Max was so damn happy and Daniel knew he’d never be able to give Max that. </p><p>He didn’t want kids. He had nothing against kids, he loved them. Daniel just was not cut out to be a father, he was better as an uncle. </p><p>Every single day, Daniel missed Isaac, his little nephew. He adored the kid with his entire heart, and Daniel knew how painful it was to barely see him. If he had a kid, whilst he was still racing, he wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with it as he wanted to and it would hurt to have to leave their kid with someone else whilst he’s driving. It wasn’t fair to traipse a baby all around the world through numerous time zones to have someone else watch his child whilst he was doing something he loved. </p><p>Daniel just didn’t want to be a Dad, and that was fair. </p><p>He understood that Max wanted to be a Dad, and that was fair too. </p><p>But they wouldn’t be parents together, and even though breaking up had been ugly and fucking horrible, and Daniel did think it was the best decision for them. </p><p>Max could move on and be happy with someone that one day, once he’d won a championship or two, would give him a family, and Daniel could move on and find happiness in the bottom of bottles and dirt bikes. </p><p>They ran in different worlds, despite sharing motorsport. </p><p>Throwing the blankets off his body, Daniel climbed up out of bed. </p><p>Normally, Daniel woke up much later than 8am, but Max’s text message had woken him up and now he couldn’t get back to sleep, so he may as well get up and get some breakfast. Michael was off somewhere, doing <i>stuff</i>, so Daniel would have to go through his workout routine alone, never missing a step. Michael would know if he’d skipped something. Daniel didn’t know how, but Michael just knew.</p><p>Sometimes he swore Michael had an almost parental sense about him. He just knew when something was going to happen or had happened, and Daniel’s father had been the exact same.</p><p>It was fucking weird, honestly.</p><p>Daniel pulled some loose shorts on as he scrubbed at his eyes tiredly and walked through to the kitchen, winter air biting his skin and sending goose bumps creeping up his arms. He’d warm up soon. </p><p>Especially once he got some coffee in him.</p><p>His phone buzzed on the counter where he’d thrown it as he walked into the kitchen, another message of some kind.</p><p>He’d respond to it later.</p><p>If it was important, whoever wanted him would phone him.</p><p>He knew Max would know he’d left him on read, but they’d gotten pretty good at doing that to each other since breaking up. They still flirted in the Instagram comments and Max had awkwardly given Daniel lifts, along with Michael, home from the race sometimes, posting pictures on Instagram to try and convince the fans that they didn’t hate each other.</p><p>Maxiel was still alive and well, according to the internet.</p><p>They didn’t need to know the two of them could barely be in each other’s company anymore.</p><p>The coffee machine almost deafened him with how loud it seemed in the baron apartment, and Daniel pressed his forehead into the cabinet above the machine as he waited for it to make his coffee, still half asleep in the early morning. Mentally, he ran through a list of food he knew he had in the apartment, trying to figure out what he could conjure up as a makeshift breakfast.</p><p>Michael being off doing <i>stuff</i> meant that Daniel didn’t have to be quite as strict with himself as normal, but still smart enough that he wouldn’t have to burn off a stone of weight when Michael came back from his gallivanting. </p><p>Honestly, Daniel had no idea where his trainer was.</p><p>He’d told Daniel he was taking a couple of weeks off from training him to go and sort some things out, which Daniel was more than okay with. Michael would send an email every day with a workout plan, dietary recommendations, and videos for anything that was a bit newer, and Daniel would respond every day with a ‘cheers gangsta’. Their little routine worked well.</p><p>The coffee machine did its little ‘ba-dum’ to signify it was done and Daniel grabbed his mug, holding it tight and letting the warmth of the coffee warm his skin. </p><p>He really was not cut out for the cold.</p><p>Snagging his phone as he went, Daniel put his mug down on the coffee table and fell onto the sofa, slinging his feet up so that he was practically horizontal before opening his phone.</p><p>The text from Michael had come through five minutes ago, very similar to Max’s text.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Very strange</p><p>Normally Michael would just ring him when he needed him. They weren’t Gen Z, after all. They could talk on the phone without crying. </p><p>Not exactly in the mood to talk, Daniel swiped through his apps until he found Instagram and opened it.</p><p>Immediately, his eyes went wide at the photo at the top of his feed.</p><p>Well it’s safe to say he wasn’t expecting that when he opened his Instagram.</p><p>
  
</p><p>So that’s where Michael was...</p><p>
  <i>so proud of you both</i>
</p><p>Max was a parent...</p><p>Max was a dad with Michael.</p><p>His best friend had been fucking his ex-boyfriend for god knows how long and now they had a kid together?</p><p>And <i>Charles Leclerc</i> had even commented?!</p><p>Daniel didn’t think him and Max even followed each other...</p><p>Max had gotten his wish though. He was a Dad. He had a baby.</p><p>A little girl, from the looks of it.</p><p>Daniel hadn’t even known Max was pregnant.</p><p>And Michael didn’t tell him?</p><p>Why didn’t Michael tell him?</p><p>Sure he would’ve been mad that his best friend was fucking his ex-boyfriend, but it common fucking courtesy to tell your best friend that you’d impregnated the guy he now disliked</p><p>Right?</p><p>Daniel’s phone started ringing, and for a while, Daniel just stared at it vibrating in his hand.</p><p>
  <i>Michael</i>
</p><p>And it was a fucking FaceTime call...</p><p>It didn’t take long before the call cut out and Daniel got the notification saying ‘<i>you’ve missed a call from me</i>’, but he didn’t care.</p><p>If Michael was FaceTiming him, he’d probably still be at the hospital. The post had been made four hours ago, and when Daniel scrolled down, the next post was the same as Max’s, only from Michael’s account, confirming it was indeed Michael’s baby that Max had had.</p><p>Daniel had already known it was. He knew what Michael looked like even from a view of the top of his head, but seeing Michael confirm it was a different thing.</p><p>The comments on both posts were already insane. Hundreds of fans speculating that Maxiel was dead because it was all about Michax (which frankly Daniel thought was a fucking disgusting ship name) now, hundreds of well-wishes for the new parents. </p><p>Parents..</p><p><i>Max</i> was a <i>parent</i></p><p>He was <i>twenty three</i> years old.</p><p>He had an F1 season due to start in a month.</p><p>He was a <i>parent</i>...</p><p>Daniel sat reading the comments on both posts for a little while, heart gradually sinking lower and lower when he saw numerous comments waiting for his opinion on it all. </p><p>He knew it wouldn’t be long before he got directly asked about it.</p><p>After all, people in F1 knew Daniel and Max had dated for two years. Their families knew. They’d just kept it from the fans out of ease. </p><p>Yet now everyone in the world knew Daniel’s best friend had fucked Daniel’s ex-boyfriend and started a family with him.</p><p>As much as it pained him, Daniel pressed the comment button on Max’s post and sat staring at the keyboard for a while. Nothing in his head sounded right.</p><p>Why did it not sound right that he was happy for his best friend and ex?</p><p>Michael wanted kids. Daniel knew that. And obviously Max did. It was nice that they were both able to give each other what they wanted.</p><p>But Max was <i>Daniel’s</i>.</p><p>Sure they hadn’t been dating for the last twenty-six months, but...</p><p>Well...</p><p>Part of Daniel always expected that Max would come back to him.</p><p>That he’d realise this silly little game of wanting a family when he’s a racer was dumb and they could just carry on being young and stupid and in love.</p><p>Not anymore.</p><p>Max was a <i>father</i> now.</p><p>And Daniel was the public’s favourite person to ship with Max, so he had to be the supportive friend right now when it felt like his heart was ripping into two.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Almost instantly, Daniel’s phone started ringing again and he picked it up this time.</p><p>“Hey Michael, how’s the baby?” Daniel smiled, trying to put the best foot forward when in actuality he wanted to ram his foot into Michael’s neck until he couldn’t breathe anymore.</p><p>“We didn’t want you to find out like that,” Michael said. His voice was quiet, and he kept looking off the camera.</p><p>Daniel didn’t know if he was looking at Max or his new baby.</p><p>“So you posted it on Instagram four hours before you even thought to text me?” Daniel asked back.</p><p>For a moment, Michael stuttered.</p><p>Good.</p><p>Let him.</p><p>“I, er, we... we just. Yeah, I, um-“</p><p>“Tell him the truth,” Max’s voice quietly came through and Daniel felt his heart both harden at the pure anger he felt toward his ex and his heart soften at his exhausted Max sounded. “It’s okay.”</p><p>A hand came onto the screen to rub across Michael’s shoulder, and Daniel watched as Michael turned his head to press a kiss to Max’s fingers.</p><p>“We didn’t know Max was pregnant. He went into labour last night. We had no idea. He’s had no sign of pregnancy. His weight didn’t really change. The fitting of his clothes didn’t change. His appetite didn’t. He didn’t have a bump. It was all a surprise, Daniel. If we’d known-“</p><p>“Was the baby full term?” Daniel asked and Michael shook his head.</p><p>“She’s about a month early.”</p><p>“So you fucked my ex-boyfriend eight months ago and are only just telling me now?”</p><p>“He’s been fucking me for a year, Daniel, get over it,” Max’s hard voice joined into the call, “don’t be mad that I fell for a guy that wanted the same life as me. You’re acting like a cunt.”</p><p>“Oh so you running off with my best mate, that’s something I’m meant to be okay with? You both <i>lying</i> to me?!”</p><p>“We didn’t lie, Daniel,” Michael calmly said, “you never asked. I told you I was seeing someone. You knew Max was seeing someone. The entire reason we flew on Max’s jet was so I could spend time with him. We’ve not been subtle. You’ve just not been paying attention.”</p><p>“Because he’s a cunt,” Max muttered, making Michael chuckle and roll his eyes.</p><p>“Don’t swear when you’re feeding Lily.”</p><p>“I’ll do what I fucking want.”</p><p>“Her name’s Lily?” Daniel quietly asked.</p><p>Lily was a beautiful name.</p><p>And also the name that Max had told Daniel that he’d like to call his daughter one day if he had one. </p><p>Made sense.</p><p>Victoria had named her son Luka. Max named his daughter Lily. The names sounded sweet together.</p><p>“Yeah,” Michael nodded, “Lily Sofia Italiano-Verstappen. She’s gorgeous, Dan.”</p><p>Michael looked off to the side, probably to where Max was holding or feeding Lily, smiling lovingly at the boy he’d fallen in love with and the baby they’d created together. </p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing him? I get that you didn’t know about the pregnancy but... Max is my ex,” Daniel asked.</p><p>“I didn’t know how to tell you. You and Max... you hate each other. I get that you don’t want kids, Dan, but the shit you said to Max, it fucked him up. You scared him. Made him so anxious. And we’ve got a baby, now, Daniel. We’ve got to start acting like adults. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you, but I love Max. And I love our little girl. And I will spend time with him at the track because of Lil now,” Michael explained.</p><p>“Is Max still going to race this season?”</p><p>“We’re going to wait and hear what the doctors say. He should be fine to race because it’s still a while until the season starts, but Red Bull are prepared for Alex to have Max’s seat for the season if Max wants to take it off.”</p><p>“I’m racing,” Max calmly interrupted. “I’m winning a race for our girl.”</p><p>“Our girl wants her Daddy to be safe, so if you can’t, you won’t,” Michael countered, and Daniel had to bite at the inside of his lip when he heard Michael actually call Max a ‘Dad’. “Plus, if Lily decides she doesn’t like wearing a Red Bull uniform, you can’t make her.”</p><p>“Well she’s not wearing your ugly orange!”</p><p>“Excuse me you’re the one who goes on about how me wearing orange now is clearly a show of support for your orange army, baby.”</p><p>Max laughed at Michael’s argument, a sound which tied itself around Daniel’s heart and pulled tight until he couldn’t breathe.</p><p>Suddenly all of Max’s jokes about him dressing a baby that he and Daniel could have had in Daniel’s team colours came flooding back to him, and Daniel wanted nothing more than to watch Max dress their baby in his team colours. </p><p>“Do you want to see Lily?” Michael asked, and as much as Daniel wanted to say no, he knew he had to say yes. </p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Michael put the phone down for a moment, leaving Daniel to look up at the harsh fluorescent lighting on the ceiling as Max and Michael moved around. Faintly, Daniel could hear Max quietly telling Michael to watch Lily’s head, whispering how sweet she looked in Michael’s arms. </p><p>And when Michael picked his phone up again, tiny little baby in his arms, Daniel saw Max in his daughter. </p><p>She was beautiful.</p><p>Just like Max. </p><p>“She’s beautiful, mate. Can’t be your genetics,” Daniel smiled, voice strained.</p><p>“Yeah, she’s all Max. Got his mouth and nose, her eyes are light at the minute but they think she’ll end up with dark eyes like me. She’s beautiful already, we’re just so in love with her,” Michael said.</p><p>“You’re in Holland at the minute?”</p><p>“Yeah, we were meant to come back to Monaco tomorrow but with Lil, we’re going to wait a bit and then drive home in a week or so. Depends what the doctors say. And also see about going to Milton Keynes.”</p><p>“You going with him?”</p><p>“I’ll go where Lily and Max need me,” Michael explained before looking down at Lily who was grumbling in his arms. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you before now, seriously. We didn’t think about you not knowing until Max had posted it on Instagram and then we knew it was too late. But seriously, Dan, Lily is everything me and Max wanted and we want you to meet her, properly.”</p><p>“You mean you do,” Max grumbled, which didn’t surprise Daniel. Daniel was sure if Max had his way, Daniel wouldn’t have anything to do with Max’s daughter. </p><p>“He’s still my best friend, Max.”</p><p>“And he’s the guy that told me I’d be a shit parent. Sorry that I don’t want to expose <i>my daughter</i> to that fucker.”</p><p>“And yet the first person you phoned to tell about <i>our baby</i> is your self-proclaimed enemy.”</p><p>“Yeah, well… Charles, you know, he just like, he’s going to be her godfather, he needed to know.”</p><p>Daniel felt uncomfortable listening to them both talk, discussing their child and their child’s life like Daniel wasn’t even there. </p><p>Although, Daniel guessed this was probably good practice for when the season started up and he’d have to get used to sharing Michael with Max and his new baby. </p><p>Lily was still quietly grumbling in Michael’s arms, tiny hands opening and closing, grasping onto thin air. </p><p>“I still can’t believe you made a bet with Charles Leclerc when you were thirteen and you’re actually following through with it,” Michael sighed. </p><p>“Yeah well, I refuse to let him win. He thought I’d forgotten but I haven’t and now he’s got godfather responsibilities.”</p><p>“Hallo, Max, hoe gaat het met Lily?” Another voice joined the conversation and Michael quickly looked back at his phone. </p><p>“Sorry, mate, doctors are back, I’ll talk to you later,” Michael said. Daniel barely had chance to say bye himself before Michael put the phone down to give Max the privacy he needed to talk to the doctors. </p><p>Max was a Dad.</p><p>Max was a parent. </p><p>He had a baby now. </p><p>And Daniel, in the deep pits of his heart, felt everything inside him break as he realised that he’d do anything to be the one sat beside Max, holding his hand and their new baby, listening to all the things that came with being a new parent. </p><p>He’d not even seen Max holding his baby yet. He’d not seen Max at all yet today. </p><p>Michael posted another photo not long after the phone call, another shot of Lily only this time with both of her tiny arms stretched above her head and her hands clutching the fingers of her new parents. </p><p>
  <i>Couldn’t be more in love with you, Lily</i>
</p><p>It made sense that Max didn’t exactly want himself being plastered across the internet considering he’d given birth twenty-four hours prior and probably was feeling all kinds of shit and sore. </p><p>Daniel threw his phone down onto the opposite cushion, and dropped his head backwards to stare up at the ceiling of his apartment. </p><p>It was the same apartment that he’d lived in with Max, and Daniel knew that if he looked towards the door that let him into his bedroom, he’d see the guest room door next to it. </p><p>A guest room that, had he stayed with Max, could’ve been a nursery now. </p><p>Daniel had never wanted to be a parent. </p><p>And now all he wanted was to cuddle Lily in his arms and kiss Max and tell him how beautiful he was for giving him such a beautiful little girl. </p><p>But he couldn’t, because Lily wasn’t his. </p><p>And Lily never would be his. </p><p>———</p><p>The first time Daniel saw Lily was at the track. </p><p>Of course.</p><p>Max was walking through the paddock with little Lily in her car seat and Michael by his side. </p><p>Lily was covered by her blanket and the hood of the seat, little face hidden so that the flash of cameras didn’t scare her too much, Daniel assumed. </p><p>And Max looked so fucking proud. </p><p>Michael had told Daniel that he was going to travel in with Max, to help him protect their daughter from the worst of the press, which Daniel had expected.</p><p>Max had come back to racing, being deemed fit and healthy to race by the time Bahrain had rolled around, however Max had left Lily with his Mum back home due to Bahrain being... <i>not great</i> with homosexuality. Instead, Lily’s first time in the paddock was at Italy, second race of the season, at nearly 6 weeks of age.</p><p>Max had won Bahrain, surprising everyone, and Daniel had barely been able to get a top 5 finish. He finished ahead of Lando, which was a good start to his new tenure with the team. </p><p>However, Daniel hadn’t exactly cared about his own result. </p><p>Obviously Michael dealt with Daniel first, collecting his helmet and checking his health post-race, but Daniel had seen the way Michael’s eyes constantly flicked over to Max, to see the way Max had his hand over his stomach and an excited smile on his face as he talked to the press. Max’s body had stayed roughly the same even after Lily’s birth due to the pregnancy being a surprise, but Max touched his stomach a lot, especially when Lily wasn’t around, almost as though to remind himself what he’d created and who he now won for.</p><p>Max hadn’t drunk any champagne on the podium at Bahrain, however allowed the two Mercedes boys that had finished with him to completely drench him, and Lewis had wrapped his arm around Max and hugged him tight.</p><p>Daniel had never been able to take his eyes off Max.</p><p> Neither had Michael.</p><p>Almost as soon as the podium was over, Michael had shot off to find Max, doing the same health checks that Bradley had already inevitably done on Max. </p><p>Only, it was different with Michael checking Max, because Max was the father to Michael’s baby. Max was the reason Michael was a Dad now. </p><p>Max was the reason why half of Michael’s Instagram was now him talking about his daughter. </p><p>Michael had posted a few photos onto his story of Max with Lily, including a really adorable photo that had clearly been taken late at night. </p><p>The entire photo was in black and white, and Lily was cradled in Max’s arms. Max had been sat on a plush chair, probably feeding Lily, and his sleepy and exhausted eyes were fixed on the baby in his arms. </p><p>Max suited being a Dad. </p><p>He was really good at it, despite his young age. </p><p>And watching him walk with Michael, Michael holding his free hand, his daughter in her car seat, he looked happy. </p><p>Daniel wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen Max look that happy when he’d been with Daniel. </p><p>Daniel stayed away from the couple, instead watched as Charles came running, falling to a stop in front of Max and throwing his arms around him, hugging his self-proclaimed enemy. </p><p>“Can I see her?!” Charles asked, bouncing slightly once he’d pulled back from hugging Max and looking down at the carrier. “Please?!”</p><p>“Sure,” Max smiled, nudging Charles’ hip, “she’s missed you.”</p><p>“I’ve missed <i>mon meilleur ami</i> too!” Charles agreed, following after Max and Michael. Charles took the carrier off Max, lifting it up so that he could peek under the hood and look at Lily. </p><p>Daniel had also seen the posts on Charles’ Instagram. Him holding his goddaughter. Him laying looking at his goddaughter. </p><p>The one that had surprised him had been the one of Charles looking at Lily in her incubator whilst she was still in the hospital. </p><p>Daniel had never asked why <i>Charles Leclerc</i> got to visit Max and Michael and Lily in the hospital but Daniel hadn’t been allowed. He was Michael’s best friend, after all. Sure, Charles was Lily’s godfather, but Daniel was closer to Michael. </p><p>Apparently, Charles was closer to Michael and Max than Daniel was. Even Charlotte, Charles’ girlfriend, had posted photos of Lily.</p><p>
  
</p><p>And Max had interacted with her. </p><p>Max never interacted with anyone. </p><p>It had been one of the biggest things that him and Daniel had argued about (aside from children, of course), was Max’s incompetence towards talking to other drivers or their families. He just didn’t care. </p><p>And now he was willingly handing his daughter over to a boy that he called his enemy and a girl that, honestly, even Daniel didn’t think he’d said more than a handful of words to. </p><p>“She won’t let go of the blanket you bought her,” Daniel heard Max say as him and Charles walked past, “she’s not allowed to be a Ferrari fan, I told you.”</p><p>“Max, someone has to support the Tifosi, she’s the leader of the fanclub, it’s the rules,” Charles laughed as Max rolled his eyes. </p><p>“I think her being a Red Bull fan is enough.”</p><p>“Eh, she looks better in red,” Charles shrugged. </p><p>“Anything’s better than orange,” Michael cut in which had both young drivers nod their agreement. </p><p>“She’s too pretty for McLaren,” Charles said, “Ferrari, however, stunning.”</p><p>“Give me my daughter back and fuck off!” Max ordered, however Charles tightened his hand on Lily’s seat and walked off quickly, keeping her close as Max chased after him. Michael was following at a much more leisurely pace, and Daniel noticed the way that Michael’s eyes flicked down to trace the curve of Max’s ass and his legs as he ran after Charles. </p><p>It made sense. Max was a beautiful human being. Personality wise he was a bit of a twat 90% of the time, but he was really pretty to look at. And since having his daughter, he smiled more, he looked happier, and if Daniel was open to admitting the truth, he’d admit that he was still just as in love with Max as he had been when they’d first met. </p><p>“Charles steals Lily more than anyone else I know,” Michael said, nudging Daniel’s elbow as he stopped beside him at the garage. “You never answered my text about coming to meet her.”</p><p>“I didn’t see it,” Daniel shrugged, “you sure you pressed send?”</p><p>“Yep. Maybe you should turn off read receipts if you’re going to lie to me,” Michael countered. Daniel looked down at his feet as Michael stared at him, kicking a stone between his feet aimlessly. </p><p>“I, I need to ask you something,” Michael said eventually. </p><p>“Go ahead.”</p><p>“It’s about Lily. And I’ve spoken to Max, and it was actually his idea. So I’d really appreciate it if you would look at me when I ask you this.”</p><p>Daniel sighed and rolled his head back, leaning into the garage as he stared at Michael. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Will you be Lily’s other godfather? Honorary of course, ‘cause we’re not actually going to get her christened, but we know the dangers of Max’s job. And I know you have the same, but my daughter, mine and Max’s daughter, she needs family, Dan. And I need my best mate.”</p><p>“I can’t, Mike,” Daniel sighed, shaking his head as his eyes fell shut. “It hurts seeing her. Seeing Max with you, with her. I can’t.”</p><p>“You’re the one who pushed him away. You don’t want children of your own, you wanted to be an Uncle. Max is giving you that. He still wants me and you to be friends. And he’s willing to try with you too. My little girl deserves to meet the guy that gave me her Daddy, I want you and her to be friends, Dan. She’s six weeks old and she’s terrifying to be around. She was such a surprise and I don’t know how to be a parent, but we’re learning. We’re trying. And I want you there too,” Michael argued.</p><p>Tears were building in Daniel’s eyes, biting at the inside of his mouth to try and hold them back when his voice started shaking, “I’m in love with him. And seeing him with Lily, it made me realise I want a family with him and I can’t do that to you. I know, trust me, he’s yours and I’m not going to try and take him or Lily from you. But it hurts seeing him. It hurts seeing Lily.”</p><p>“You had so many chances…”</p><p>“I know! Trust me, I know! I sat in my spare bedroom the other day crying because that should’ve been Lily’s bedroom! I fucked up, Michael, and it fucking hurts to see you with Max. So, no, I’m sorry, but I do not want to be Lily’s godfather. I can’t.”</p><p>“Then do me a favour,” Michael said, voice cold now as he stared at Daniel. Daniel wouldn’t open his eyes, refused to see the anger on Michael’s face if it even reflected the anger in his voice the smallest amount, “Unfollow Max everywhere. Don’t have anything to do with him. Because that’s my boyfriend, and that’s my daughter, and you gave him so many nightmares about our daughter. You can’t pick and choose what’s right for you when it comes to Max. You knew he wanted to be a Dad and you were horrible. Just leave him alone, Dan.”</p><p>“Michael! Can you come and help with Lily?!” Max shouted across the paddock, his little girl held in his arms and cradling her to him like the treasure that she was. Charles was stood beside him, Lily’s hand wrapped around Charles’ pointer finger. Charles was making faces at Lily, completely at comfort with Max and Lily. </p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be right there!” Michael shouted back. They both watched as Max brushed his lips over Lily’s head, bouncing her slightly as he turned back to conversing with Charles. </p><p>“He’s a good Dad,” Daniel whispered. </p><p>“He’s the best. And he’ll win a championship just to prove to you that being a parent doesn’t ruin anything. I’ll see you in a bit, Dan,” Michael said, pushing off the garage and walking over to the two drivers. Michael instantly wrapped his arm around Max’s waist, interrupting his conversation with Charles for just a second to kiss him quickly before lifting Lily into his arms and letting his daughter settle against his shoulder. </p><p>Max looked up at Michael and grinned, leaning into him for a moment as he looked at Lily in Michael’s arms. </p><p>The perfect little family. </p><p>The perfect little family that Daniel wished belonged to him. </p><p>Michael still had his arm around Max as Max looked past Lily, eyes fixing on Daniel and staring unwaveringly at him. </p><p>Max must’ve said something to Michael about Daniel, before scoffing and smirking at Daniel, shaking his head in exasperation. </p><p>From this distance, Daniel couldn’t make it out what it was Max said audibly, but he knew what Max’s lips looked like when he murmured his words. </p><p>
  <i> “I love you” </i>
</p><p>Daniel’s heart tore from his chest, getting thrown across the paddock and bounced effortlessly towards the race track where, come Sunday, Max would once again race hard, and shatter Daniel’s heart to smithereens again. </p><p>He’d lost Max. </p><p>He’d lost his future. </p><p>He’d lost the family he didn’t think he wanted. </p><p>Lily was the most perfect little girl in the world, and Daniel wanted nothing more than to cradle her in his arms and protect her, teach her all the fun and whacky things in the world that Daniel normally taught his nephews. </p><p>And Max. </p><p>He wanted to cradle Max in his arms and kiss him and tell him what an amazing Dad he was.</p><p>Instead it was Michael that got that. </p><p>Michael who was able to make Max smile now. </p><p>Michael who was now Max’s favourite person because he gave him the daughter that Daniel always said no for. </p><p>Michael who made Max smile because they had a daughter who kept them up at night but gave them the most adorable gummy smile that was identical to Max’s and had Michael’s dark hair coming through. </p><p>Michael who Daniel knew was perfect for Max. </p><p>Michael who looked at Max like he hung the sun, the moon and the stars. </p><p>Michael who was Lily’s Daddy and Max’s boyfriend. </p><p>McLaren was meant to be a fresh start, a chance for Daniel to rebuild and try something new. </p><p>To try and get Max back. </p><p>He’d started at Renault with a broken heart. And now he was starting at McLaren with a broken heart.</p><p>He’d always thought Max was the naïve one, the one not destined to get that happily ever after he craved. </p><p>Only he had. </p><p>It was Daniel who didn’t. </p><p>And he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have such a weakness for max being a parent apparently lmao</p><p>Kudos, comments &amp; feedback always greatly appreciated💙</p><p>Tumblr is at <a href="https://3303andmore.tumblr.com">3303andmore</a> xxx</p><p>back I go to writing a thesis about something that honestly I don't even understand anymore lmao</p></blockquote></div></div>
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